An acridone based fluorescent dye for lipid droplet tracking and cancer diagnosis

• Published in: Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. B, Biology Biology, 2024-09, Vol.258, p.113000, Article 113000
• Main Authors: Dinh, Dat Thanh, Li, Chia-Ying, Wu, Min-Wei, Hsieh, Chia-Feng, Chen, Xuan-Yu, Chang, Cheng-Chung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: A549 Cells; Acridines - chemistry; Cancer diagnosis; coculture; Coculture Techniques; cytosol; diabetes; droplets; energy; Fatty Acids - chemistry; fluorescent dyes; Fluorescent Dyes - chemistry; Humans; Lipid droplets; Lipid Droplets - chemistry; Lipid Droplets - metabolism; Lipid trafficking; lipids; Microscopy, Fluorescence; mitochondria; Mitochondria - metabolism; neoplasms; Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Neoplasms - metabolism; obesity; photobiology; photochemistry; Photostability; Starvation; toxicity
• ISSN: 1011-1344; 1873-2682; 1873-2682
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2024.113000

Lipid droplets (LDs) are spherical organelles that localize in the cytosol of eukaryotic cells. Different proteins are embedded on the surface of LDs, so LDs play a vital role in the physiological activities of cells. The dysregulation of LDs is associated with various human diseases, such as diabetes and obesity. Therefore, it is essential to develop a fluorescent dye that labels LDs to detect and monitor illnesses. In this study, we developed the compound BDAA12C for staining LDs in cells. BDAA12C exhibits excellent LD specificity and low toxicity, enabling us to successfully stain and observe the fusion of LDs in A549 cancer cells. Furthermore, we also successfully distinguished A549 cancer cells and MRC-5 normal cells in a co-culture experiment and in normal and tumour tissues. Interestingly, we found different localizations of BDAA12C in well-fed and starved A549 cancer cells and consequently illustrated the transfer of fatty acids (FAs) from LDs to mitochondria to supply energy for β-oxidation upon starvation. Therefore, BDAA12C is a promising LD-targeted probe for cancer diagnosis and tracking lipid trafficking within cells. BDAA12C is a novel fluorescence probe for recognizing and tracking lipids trafficking in starved and well-fed cancer cells, and BDAA12C shows excellent potential as a cancer diagnostic probe. [Display omitted] •BDAA12C exhibits strong emission in low-polarity solvents•BDAA12C generates bright emission in the lipid droplets of cells•BDAA12C can be used to monitor the trafficking of lipid droplets•BDAA12C accumulates in both lipid droplets and mitochondria of starved cells•BDAA12C can be used to recognize cancer cells as well as tumour tissue